THE UNIONIST parties in the north of Ireland have officially registered the failure of their campaign against the Anglo-Irish agreement signed in November 1985. The "Task Force' report drawn up by Frank Millar, general secretary of the Official Unionist Party (OUP), Harold McCusker, OUP deputy leader and Peter Robinson, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), published on 2 July, acknowledges most unionists do not believe that the present unionist campaign against the Agreement can succeed. The report urges the Unionist parties to open talks 'without preconditions' with the British government about alternatives to the Anglo-Irish Agreement.
The new report sets the 'Inionist obiective most rapid possible installation of a 'devolved government' in the six counties.
This has, of course, been we noast cenaro soce the Stormont *protestant parlament tor a protestant Perlenes ange for in abolished return to a Stormont administration the report prepared to accept, for the irst time, participation of the bourgeois nationalist Social Democratic Labour rarty in a government o. the six counties. The report document published by the ultra-sectarian Ulster berence Association (UDA) earlier this year.
UDA, specialises in random murders of catholics, spelt out that ›ower-sharing vith the SDLP would be a Agreement. The precondition for the UDA was that the nationalist community must show their loyalty' remaining the United Kingdom for ever.
report goes further than the UDA in pledging 'willingness negotiate British/Irish framework for co-operation within these islands. Control The key precondition for the Unionists is regaining control of the sectarian security forces in the six in Northern Ireland without control of internal security would be unworthy of the name' If agreement cannot be reached on such an alterhave ner Agreement the report 'threat:
Devolved government therefore our objective and whilst we hope this will prove attainable within the COLCAL of the United Kingdom, unionists would be wise and prudent to an• • TRIBUNE • 1 MAY 190. deputy leader of lan Paisley's ticipate that it might not... Tatue to arave at couschSuS would leave the Unionist leadership alternative but to seek an entirely new base for Norpresent constitutional context. To this end it should be observed that Article 1 of the Anglo-Irish Agreement itself purports to recognise and safeguard the right of the people of northern self-determination.
completely sole SECCE partitioned the British perialism.
Unionists would be But alongside the even with SYOLCLE of relative for tion nationalists Into the of the six It Is lnal relatively The have task force have view: Last year's 6 July Orange march was the preferred option in the Forum report and continues to be the preferred option of all constitutional nationalists. On the other hand we have to be practical about it and in the short term there is no possibility Ol a unilary state. ne goes on: I would argue that the the SDLP to get involved in a devolved situation.' (Fortnight, June 1987)
The even made clear that SIX county 'devolved which propose is, course, HERe for But any ad1s a 1987).
speech to parliament th lory government spelt out that it is thinking along the same innes as tne umonists - referring to the possibility of greater responsibility destro isters.
'whilst Mainlalning Anglo-Irish failed to defeat the Anglo-Irish Agreement. The British Dublin, suvilial!
eliminate republican Adams in of Gerry The Unionists administratOl. This change for movement The fly in the ointment is that the efforts of London, Dublin, the SDLP, RUC, and the British army have failed to eliminate, or A very broad alliance the mass support that exists for the republican moveThe reason for this is the one Issue bicy cannot touch the fact that all the cosmetic CACCISC victaken ove the past eighteen years have failed to tackle the roots of sectarian discrimination in the six counties are themselves grounded in partition and the British colonial presence by the IN AN HISTORIC decision the NUR conference on 1 July voted by 41 votes to 36 to call upon the next Labour government to commit itself to a 'withdrawal of British rule in Ireland within the lifetime of that government'.
The motion was carnica against lne opposition of general secrelary Jimmy Ahapp who warned of an orange uprising in • Scotland against withdrawal. An amendment calling for a step-by-step withdrawal •under UN supervision was defeated 39 votes to 33.
The NUR conference also supported the resolution of the Labour Women's Action Committee. submitted by Glasgow No 6 branch, calling for the women's section of the Labour Party NEC to be elected by the National Conference of Labour Women, with three places reserved for trade union women and three for women from we women s secuons Again the resolution was carried against the advice of Jimmy Knapp with 37 for and 36 against.
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withdrawal in one parliament